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MOTIVATION“I always wanted to go to the Olympic Winter Games; that was always a goal of mine. But realistically I didn’t realise that I had the talent to do so until probably around high school. I was just so immersed in the sport, just absolutely loved playing, that I didn’t really take the time to compare myself to other players. But I think a defining moment was when I went to an open try-out for the 2006 Olympic team and got a rejection letter. I was like, ‘Okay, I’m never going to get another rejection letter. I want to make sure that I make the next Olympic team’.”“The only word I can really use to describe it is ‘heart-breaking’. You invest so much, and it’s not only you, it’s your family, and there’s so much emotional baggage that goes into it. And on top of that you’re playing for your country and you’re representing them. I think a lot of us took a few months and said, ‘Okay, we have one more shot at this and we need to bring back a gold medal’. So it’s gold or bust in PyeongChang for Team USA.” LOSING IN THE OLYMPIC FINAL FOCUS HILARY KNIGHTAGE: 28 NOC: USA SPORT: ICE HOCKEY KEY ACHIEVEMENTS: 2x OLYMPIC SILVER MEDALLIST; 7x WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP GOLD MEDALLIST; 2015 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MVP UNCERTAINTY“The tough thing – and the brilliant thing – about sports is that you never know what you’re going to get, any day. So it’s a 50/50, and we do our best to manage the chances and swing them our way.”“I remember before Sochi 2014 – for a month leading up to it – I was like, ‘I’m ready; let’s go and do this thing right now’. So it’s about managing your expectations and your emotional load to make sure that you’re not too ready before the Games actually begin, because you want to peak at the right moment.”Follow Hilary on the Olympic Athletes’ Hub DESTINATION PYEONGCHANG48 OLYMPIC REVIEW